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webster10
Registered: 12/15/13
Posts: 466
Last seen: 9 years, 25 days
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Understanding a reservoir
#750659 - 10/01/14 07:00 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Hey everyone, I'm going to be starting a hydroponic grow fairly soon and would like to inquire about the logistics of filling a reservoir.
I was at first under the impression that you mix up the res, and let them drink until it's empty and then fill again.
Boy was I wrong. Apparently, plants can drink the water slower or faster than absorbing the nutrients in the water.
So you could end up with the plants taking up nutes at a higher rate than just plain water, lowering the PPM and I imagine raising the pH as well.
Or they could drink the water faster then they take up nutrients and end up raising your PPM too high and lowering pH.
So what is the method that anyone uses to counteract the unbalanced feeding? Just read(pH and PPM) of reservoir and react to what the situation calls for? Would you just top off the res with a nutrient solution that should fix it?
Thanks to anyone who offers any input.
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Magash
The Feminizer
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 6,634
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Re: Understanding a reservoir [Re: webster10]
#750665 - 10/01/14 07:27 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Boy was I wrong. Apparently, plants can drink the water slower or faster than absorbing the nutrients in the water.
Plants will take up water faster then nutrients but it doesn't happen the other way around. Not with the plant we are concerned with anyway.
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So you could end up with the plants taking up nutes at a higher rate than just plain water, lowering the PPM and I imagine raising the pH as well.
Nope
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Or they could drink the water faster then they take up nutrients and end up raising your PPM too high and lowering pH.
Yup
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So what is the method that anyone uses to counteract the unbalanced feeding? Just read(pH and PPM) of reservoir and react to what the situation calls for?
Fill with water till full again then take the readings and adjust.
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Thanks to anyone who offers any input.
Shiiiiiiiit like you didn't know who was gonna answer the question.
-------------------- All creatures tremble when faced with violence. All creatures fear death, all love life. If we can only see ourselves in others, then how could we possibly hurt another creature?
Join us at the Growery!
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webster10
Registered: 12/15/13
Posts: 466
Last seen: 9 years, 25 days
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Re: Understanding a reservoir [Re: Magash]
#750671 - 10/01/14 08:21 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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As expected , once again great information. Just fill it to full with water and add nutes and pH adjust straight to res or should I premix?
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Magash
The Feminizer
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 6,634
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Re: Understanding a reservoir [Re: webster10]
#750697 - 10/02/14 01:14 AM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Better to mix in the res. Premixing nutrients can cause a problem called lockout.
-------------------- All creatures tremble when faced with violence. All creatures fear death, all love life. If we can only see ourselves in others, then how could we possibly hurt another creature?
Join us at the Growery!
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13buds
Trichome Farmer
Registered: 08/19/10
Posts: 735
Loc: IN ETHERS TORSION FIELD
Last seen: 2 years, 9 months
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Re: Understanding a reservoir [Re: Magash]
#750723 - 10/02/14 08:58 AM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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I do weekly full res changes instead of adjusting or topping off of the res.. isnt it better to have fresh nutes balanced from jump instead of adjusting and diluting?
I just dont understand why the extra work of monitoring the ph/ppm when you could just drain and refill/feed the res again with a fresh balanced nute solution.
am I wasting money draining my nutes all the time? I thought they would take what nutes they needed per stage of growth so if you topped the res off they wouldnt get the nutes they might need because they used it up in the res already???
Im just now flushing my 1st dwc grow so I might have some misinfo in my head
-------------------- A M U
13BUDS
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Magash
The Feminizer
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 6,634
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Re: Understanding a reservoir [Re: 13buds]
#750731 - 10/02/14 10:20 AM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Well I have 8 grows and your welcome to pay for 1320 gallons of nutrient a week it would take.
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I just dont understand why the extra work of monitoring the ph/ppm when you could just drain and refill/feed the res again with a fresh balanced nute solution.
Because on any kind of a large grow this would be a insane waste of money.
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I thought they would take what nutes they needed per stage of growth so if you topped the res off they wouldnt get the nutes they might need because they used it up in the res already???
This is smart thinking buuuut if it's happening then your res is way way way to small.
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Im just now flushing my 1st dwc grow so I might have some misinfo in my head
Should have seen this first. The way you're talking abut is a good idea with dwc but more of a waste with flood and drain since the plants don't have nearly the time in the nutrient solution that dwc has and usually have much larger reservoirs. (you are on top of your shit though I should have seen this first)
-------------------- All creatures tremble when faced with violence. All creatures fear death, all love life. If we can only see ourselves in others, then how could we possibly hurt another creature?
Join us at the Growery!
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13buds
Trichome Farmer
Registered: 08/19/10
Posts: 735
Loc: IN ETHERS TORSION FIELD
Last seen: 2 years, 9 months
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Re: Understanding a reservoir [Re: Magash]
#750759 - 10/02/14 12:07 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Yeah my res is 15 gallons for a single scrog plant
Good info though, could save me a lil more over the years.
-------------------- A M U
13BUDS
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webster10
Registered: 12/15/13
Posts: 466
Last seen: 9 years, 25 days
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Re: Understanding a reservoir [Re: Magash]
#750774 - 10/02/14 03:45 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Have you had any trouble adding the maxi series straight to the res? When I mix in a gallon jug, I can see some undissolved solids floating around. Or is this just not a concern?
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13buds
Trichome Farmer
Registered: 08/19/10
Posts: 735
Loc: IN ETHERS TORSION FIELD
Last seen: 2 years, 9 months
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Re: Understanding a reservoir [Re: webster10]
#750775 - 10/02/14 04:08 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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I mix all my maxi up in a 2 gallon jug as a concentrate then add to my res water but yes I get some that doesnt dissolve and I just try to make sure its dissolved b4 Im done. it does seem to take a bit more mixing to disolve maxi powders but just mix more and it will eventually dissolve
-------------------- A M U
13BUDS
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Magash
The Feminizer
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 6,634
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Re: Understanding a reservoir [Re: webster10]
#750787 - 10/02/14 06:42 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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I mix in a gallon jug also. Didn't realize you were using maxi. You don't want to put liquid nutrients together before putting in the res.
In the maxi stuff the powder that doesn't dissolve are binders. Let them settle to the bottom of the one gallon jug and just poor the nutrients in and just don't pore in the undissolved binders. They don't help in anyway the plants.
-------------------- All creatures tremble when faced with violence. All creatures fear death, all love life. If we can only see ourselves in others, then how could we possibly hurt another creature?
Join us at the Growery!
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Midgetpawn
Registered: 06/21/13
Posts: 577
Last seen: 4 years, 4 months
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Re: Understanding a reservoir [Re: Magash]
#750794 - 10/02/14 08:03 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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I saw it suggested to pre mix maxi powders for 2 minutes before adding to reservoir. 2 min is a long time
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